As a seasoned observer of the ever-evolving landscape of Hindi cinema, I find myself both intrigued and concerned by the recent success of films like Animal. The line between gritty realism and glorification of toxic masculinity is a thin one, and it seems that we, as an audience, are often too eager to cross it.
2024 saw a significant cinematic event with the release of “Animal,” a movie jointly produced by Sandeep Reddy Vanga and starring Ranbir Kapoor. This blockbuster created quite a splash at the box office but sparked a crucial conversation about portraying violence and harmful masculinity on screen. Many critics, including the film’s screenwriter, expressed their concerns, even going so far as to label its success as a potentially harmful trend in Hindi cinema. However, it seems that the writer has since clarified that his criticism was directed at the viewers of the film, not the movie itself.
In a conversation with Barkha Dutt on Mojo Story, Javed Akhtar reflected on his critique of Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s film and discussed the representation of women in cinema. As a lyricist, he stated that societies don’t advance smoothly; they have multiple strands like stories do—some pushing forward, some pulling back. He described “Animal” as one such side plot. He emphasized the importance of recognizing the central narrative guiding society’s development.
For people who might not know, the movie faced criticism from viewers for its controversial subject matter. Subsequently, when Akhtar was questioned about the film being a success at the box office, he explained, “The name gives you the reason. The title speaks for itself.
Expressing his worry about the rising preference for questionable content, particularly concerning animals, he emphasized that it’s the audience’s response he’s concerned about, rather than the filmmakers themselves. He believes that the problem is not with the creators who produce films with misguided values and inappropriate songs, but with the audience’s acceptance of such content.
Highlighting his view, he stated, “Even if only 15 out of 140 crores are unusual individuals, it’s insignificant. The issue arises when something popular becomes a massive success in the market.
Additionally, he expressed his thoughts about tolerating profanity in movies; he acknowledged that such movies dealing with difficult topics were produced earlier but didn’t gain mainstream acceptance. Nevertheless, in spite of the criticism, the film “Animal” garnered immense success at the box office, earning over 900 crores worldwide. This blockbuster production was helmed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga and featured Ranbir Kapoor, Rashmika Mandanna, Triptii Dimri, Bobby Deol, and Anil Kapoor in significant roles.
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2024-11-23 20:08